Nicole had declared with confidence (and maybe a touch of stubbornness) that she did not need a formal date for the Kappa Delta winter formal. But her roommate—and now bridesmaid—Morgan Seybold wasn’t about to let her friend be the lone wolf (or, more accurately, the 9th wheel) in their group. Enter Morgan the Matchmaker, who made it her mission to find someone worthy of Nicole’s impossibly high standards. After sifting through candidates like she was casting the lead role in a rom-com, Morgan landed on AJ. Nicole, ever the skeptic, refused to rely on pictures alone and demanded a pre-formal interview. The stage? The Sigma Chi living room. AJ, lured there under questionable circumstances, found himself face-to-face with Nicole. Sparks flew—or maybe that was just mutual shock—when they discovered they were both planning to move to Houston the next year. The real turning point, though? Nicole cleaned AJ’s room. That’s when he knew—this was no ordinary girl. From that moment on, they were inseparable. And Morgan? She probably deserves a lifetime achievement award for matchmaking.

Under the shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, AJ asked Nicole the question that would change their lives forever. Their European vacation had already been a dream, but AJ had planned something truly unforgettable. The evening began with a romantic dinner aboard a Seine River cruise, where the city of love unfolded around them in a symphony of lights and laughter. Afterward, they strolled hand-in-hand along the Seine, the world around them quiet and magical. As they reached a breathtaking heart made of rose petals (yes, AJ planned it all!), the Eiffel Tower sparkled above, and his fireworks lit up the night sky. It was there, in the perfect moment, that AJ got down on one knee and asked Nicole to spend forever with him. And of course, she said yes!